The ninth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will start on 9 April. It will not only feature two new franchises but will also feature some important captaincy changes. In cricket, captaincy is a very important thing, and in the shortest format, it becomes a deciding factor in many cases.
The captains have to take the crucial calls in the time of need in this format.
Some players are also taking up the full-fledged captaincy role for the first time this term. Their roles will be instrumental in their team’s standing in the League table after 14 matches. Before the cricketing extravaganza grips the whole nation here is our ranking of the eight IPL captains.
#1. MS Dhoni (Rising Pune Supergiants)
The Indian captain claims the top spot and rightfully so as he has been the most successful IPL captain. The Ranchi-born cricketer will lead the new franchise Rising Pune Supergiants this term after being acquired by them in the player’s draft.
With two IPL titles and numerous final appearances with now suspended Chennai Super Kings (CSK) under his belt he undoubtedly is the most successful IPL captain in history. He led to two consecutive IPL titles in 2010 and 2011.
The 34-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman is also the most experienced IPL captain. He previously has led CSK in 129 matches and has won 78 out of them and lost 50. His winning percentage stands tall at 60.93. It is very safe to say that the new team has done a very good job by appointing the best man for the all-important job.
Winning percentage – 61
#2. Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata Knight Riders)
The captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is just behind the Indian-skipper in the list. Gambhir has been undoubtedly the most successful captain of KKR which was previously led by the legendary Sourav Ganguly.
The left-handed opening batsman has led KKR to two IPL titles in the last four editions which speak the volume of his leadership skills. He was brought by KKR in 2011 player’s auction and has since then led the team.
The 34-year-old also has the experience of leading Delhi Daredevils. He has led a total of 92 IPL matches and has won 53 of them and lost 38.His winning percentage as a captain is staggering 58.15. With him and solid squad, KKR has the potential to shine in this year’s tournament.
Win Percentage – 58
#3. Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)
The Indian cricket team star batsman is at the third spot in our list. Rohit Sharma took over the captain’s responsibility at Mumbai Indians from Sachin Tendulkar in 2013 and haven’t disappointed since then.
The right-handed batsman has led Mumbai Indian’s to its first ever IPL title in 2013. He also led to the glory last year and hence starts the tournament as the defending captain.
As captain, Rohit has the best winning percentage in IPL history. He has led Mumbai Indians for a total of 44 matches and has won 27 out of them and lost 17. His winning percentage is whooping 61.36. He has been the most successful IPL captain in the recent past as has a very good chance to continue his team's phenomenal run in IPL.
Win Percentage – 61
#4. Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The current Indian Test captain and limited-overs vice-captain is at No.4. In 2011, the batting maestro was appointed as the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
As captain, Kohli always led from the front for RCB. He has been successful to take his team to the Play-Offs but hasn’t had an IPL title under his belt.
The 27-year-old has a decent record as a captain however. He has led RCB to 56 IPL matches till date and won 27 of them and lost 24. He also has an impressive winning percentage of 52.83. Kohli has a good chance of winning the first IPL title for RCB this year.
Win Percentage – 53
#5. David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
The Australian vice-captain is also the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and is at the fifth spot in our rankings. He was appointed as the captain of SRH last year.
Warner has previously led Delhi Daredevils and also led SRH last year. He has led a total of 16 matches in IPL and has won 7 out of them and lost 9. His winning percentage in IPL is 43.75. With a good looking side Warner can be the man who led them towards their first ever IPL glory.
Win Percentage – 44
#6. Suresh Raina (Gujarat Lions)
The Indian batsman, who will lead another newcomer Gujarat Lions (GL) is at the sixth position. The newly formed team immediately announced Raina as the skipper some after the auction.
The left-handed batsman has previously led CSK in the absence of MS Dhoni. He has led only three matches in IPL till date and won one out of then and lost one. The other match was a nail-biting tie. Raina’s winning percentage as a captain stands at 50.
Win Percentage – 50
#7. Zaheer Khan (Delhi DareDevils)
The former Indian cricketer, who retired from international cricket in 2014 will lead Delhi Daredevils (DD) this year and finds the penultimate spot in our rankings. The Delhi-based franchise recently announced Zaheer Khan as their captain.
The 37-year-old left-arm pacer was the leader of Indian bowling attack when India won the ICC World Cup in 2011 but he don’t have any leadership experience in IPL. This is a completely different role for him. It will be very interesting to see how good he is as a leader.
#8. David Miller (Kings XI Punjab)
The aggressive batsman from South Africa will lead Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) is the last man on our list. The Punjab-based franchise has recently announced David Miller as their captain for the season.
The 26-year-old star batsman is known as the one of the cleanest hitters of the cricket ball. But the left-handed batsman doesn’t have much captaincy experience in big stages. It will be interesting to see a South African youngster captaining KXIP to their first ever IPL title.
